Minister for Social Security gives an update on support for carers

At the beginning of last week, I made a commitment to work collaboratively with carers and their families, States Members and community organisations to review and improve support for carers.

This work has already started. In the last week, I have met community groups, ministers, and officers to better understand the challenges faced by those who care for loved ones and to start to identify how we can strengthen the support available.

This has included:

• Briefing States Members and the Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Group on current financial support for carers
• Meeting with Carers Jersey and Enable Jersey to understand the pressures that carers face and discuss the steps that Government could take to support carers
• Continued discussions across Government to look at how we can improve fairness and consistency in support for carers.

This is an important piece of work, and I will continue to prioritise it in the weeks ahead to ensure all carers - both working-age and pensioners - receive the support they need. If any carer is struggling right now, please contact the Employment, Social Security and Housing department on 444444 to discuss the help available.